# UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC)

> **NIH NIH P30** · UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM · 2022 · $1,113,750

## Abstract

UAB NORC PROGRAM SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
We request funding to continue and expand on the outstanding success achieved by UAB's Nutrition Obesity
Research Center (NORC) in its first four funding cycles and particularly during the past 4+ years. Inaugurated
with NIH funding in 2000, our NORC fosters multidisciplinary, collaborative, basic, clinical, and translational
research in nutrition and obesity. The NORC's research base grew gradually in number and productivity
through the first three funding cycles but has achieved explosive growth in funding during the last funding
period. The UAB NORC supports a research base of 95 regular members (up from 63 members) and 11 junior
members. Growth came from 1) success of junior researchers; 2) attraction of other UAB researchers into the
research base; and 3) recruitment of new researchers. Our research base generates over $41,000,000 (up
from $21,000,000) in direct funding for nutrition/obesity research and published 438 peer-reviewed papers over
the past funding period. Important contributions were made in 1) obesity and metabolic dysregulation; 2)
weight loss and weight loss maintenance: 3) precision approaches to nutrition and obesity; 4) reducing obesity
in the community; 5) nutrition, exercise, obesity in individuals with disabilities. Even more impressive has been
success of the NORC in facilitating interdisciplinary collaborations that have led to success with large grants (P
and U awards). In particular, an application for a Chronic Disease Center (P50) was just funded and an
application for a Precision Nutrition Clinical Center (UO1) received a priority score that is likely to be successful
in funding beginning in late 2021. Both of these large grants extensively use the NORC cores. Our NORC
supports three well-used core laboratories – Metabolism, Animal Models, Behavioral Science and Analytics.
The first two cores are well-established, and the third core has evolved from a biostats core to add services to
assist with different research designs, complex data analysis and behavioral science. Our NORC leadership
oversees three NIH-funded T32 training grants for obesity research. Our NORC funds a successful Pilot &
Feasibility program and sponsors a Named New Investigator. Our Enrichment Program has been outstanding
in bringing top scientists to our seminar series and in facilitating research collaborations. UAB has committed
over $5,000,000 to the NORC over the next 5 years. Backed by exceptional institutional support and academic
infrastructure, we request renewed funding to continue our contributions to this important area of research.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10512182
- **Project number:** 2P30DK056336-21
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM
- **Principal Investigator:** James O Hill
- **Activity code:** P30 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $1,113,750
- **Award type:** 2
- **Project period:** 2000-06-01 → 2027-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10512182

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10512182, UAB Nutrition Obesity Research Center (NORC) (2P30DK056336-21). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10512182. Licensed CC0.

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